Bible teaching, encouragement, homiletics, exegesis, etc.

The Sermon on the Mount, Part 3

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12 Πάντα οὖν ὅσα ἐὰν θέλητε ἵνα ποιῶσιν ὑμῖν οἱ ἄνθρωποι, οὕτως καὶ ὑμεῖς ποιεῖτε αὐτοῖς· οὗτος γάρ ἐστιν ὁ νόμος καὶ οἱ προφῆται. Matthew 7:12, NA27

12 Therefore, everything that you wish men would for you, thus also you do for them for this is the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:12, Possessing the Treasure New Testament v1

At least a couple of times a month, sometimes a couple of times a week, I am contacted either through comments or via email from persons who at the heart are some form of “Antinomian.” No matter what flavor, they all want to say that the Christian is in no way accountable to obey the Law of God or that the Old Testament is of no value to us. Let’s see what our Lord says about that. View article →

The Sermon on the Mount, Part 2

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You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:13-16, ESV

I finished translating Matthew 5 last night. I must say that going verse-by-verse, word-by-word through this part of our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount this way has got to be one of the most humbling and heart-rending exercises I have ever gone through. Why? Our Lord was proclaiming that his kingdom had come and that those in it would have certain characteristics and those who did not were not part of his kingdom. In other words, these verses he proclaims about us being salt and light are not parts of a sermon on how to become salt and light, but indicative statements of fact about those already part of his kingdom. Of course, there are later statements of rebuke in which he preaches about our behavior of what we are to do and not do as those in his kingdom. However, as I translated chapter 5 I did a huge self-checkup and realized how my flesh rather than my Lord rules far too much of my character. View article →

The Sermon on the Mount, Part 1

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23 And he went about in all Galilee teaching in their Synagogues and preaching the Good News of the Kingdom and healing every disease and every illness among the people. 24 And the report of him went out into all Syria and they brought to him all those having illnesses, various diseases, suffering from torments, being demon possessed, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them. 25 And many crowds followed him from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. 1 And having seen the crowds, he went up to the mountain. And when he sat down his disciples came to him. Matthew 4:23-5:1, Possessing the Treasure New Testament v1

The Jewish religious system that our Lord confronted head-on when he began his earthly ministry was one based upon the Mosaic Law, but the keepers of that Law had created oral traditions for the people to keep that were not part of the Law at all. The purpose of God’s Law was intended to show the people their inability to be what God commanded and, therefore, their need for a Saviour outside of themselves so that they would come to God. The oral traditions and the legalistic religious system, a system of works righteousness, kept that from happening because it actually created a system of works that people could actually “keep,” even though they were burdensome, but it deceived them into believing they were actually keeping the Law. We have flavors of this in our time in those religious systems that are all about “works righteousness” or “deeds not creeds.” Any religious system calling itself “Christian” that bases justification upon “works” rather than justification by God’s grace through faith is false. View article →

The Power To Sympathize

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Apprising Ministries with a needed message concerning genuine Christian faith in this devotional teaching from Charles Spurgeon; definitely something that you’d never hear from worldly Word Faith heretics like T.D. Jakes and Joel Osteen. View article →

Jesus’ Equality with God in Power and Authority, Part 1

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17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now and I am working. 18 Because of this, therefore, the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him not only because he was breaking the Sabbath, but also he was calling God his own Father making himself equal with God. John 5:17, 18, Possessing the Treasure New Testament V1

In this day of man-centered religiosity that has largely supplanted much of Evangelicalism, a study on Jesus Christ as Sovereign Lord, as Messiah, as God with full authority awaiting the trumpet call for judgment to begin is not only seldom preached and taught, but would seem so out of step with the post-modern, politically-correct version of the visible church all around us. The problem is not with the truth of that message, but with the fact that much of what calls itself “Christian” in our time is not. No, these religious groups may have a “god” named “jesus,” but he is anything but the one we are reading of in the Gospel of John. No, the real Jesus deliberately confronted false religious leaders and bluntly told them the truth about himself in contrast to their apostasy. View article →

The Mixed Legacy of Charles Colson

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Since his recent passing evangelical leaders like Ravi Zacharias are touting Chuck Colson as a great man of God.

Certainly Chuck Colson did do some admirable things as a Christian. However Apprising Ministries, courtesy of CRN Associate Editor Erin Benziger, also reminds you of his sinful ecumenicism in this new piece. View article →

The Beginning of Opposition to the Son of God

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18 διὰ τοῦτο οὖν μᾶλλον ἐζήτουν αὐτὸν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι ἀποκτεῖναι, ὅτι οὐ μόνον ἔλυεν τὸ σάββατον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πατέρα ἴδιον ἔλεγεν τὸν θεὸν ἴσον ἑαυτὸν ποιῶν τῷ θεῷ. John 5:18, NA27

18 Because of this, therefore, the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him not only because he breaking the Sabbath, but also he was calling God his own Father making himself equal with God. John 5:18, Possessing the Treasure New Testament V1

In our study of the Lord’s ministry from John 1 through John 4 the response from the Jewish religious leaders has been one of reservation and hesitation as Jesus as Messiah. Most of the Jews and Galileans had a mixed response as well. However, the Apostle John records for us in John 5 the controversial incidents that caused the shift from reservation and hesitation to outright opposition. This section of our Lord’s ministry is recorded by John for us in John 5:1 through John 12:50. In this post we look at John 5:1-18. View article →

Mormonism Declared War on Christianity

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Apprising Ministries reminds you there’s appears to be a real push in the evangelical community to accept high profile practicing Mormons as Christian brothers.

In this new article you’ll see the, from official LDS sources, that the Church of Jesus Christian of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons) first attacked the Christian faith. View article →

Definition of a Non-Christian Cult

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Sadly, evangelicalism is becoming more and more squishy in doctrine in its desire to please men and its lust for their acceptance.

With Mormon Mitt Romney growing in prominence due to the presidential race Apprising Ministries now gives you this succinct definition by the late cult expert Dr. Walter Martin.  View article →

Death in Adam, Life in Christ

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16 The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”  Genesis 2:16-17, NASB

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'” 4 The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! 5 “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.  Genesis 3:1-6, NASB

19 By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:19, NASB

The doctrine of original sin is a vital part of genuine Christian orthodoxy. For a long time I didn’t really appreciate how important it is in our concept of the depths of our guilt before our sovereign and thrice Holy God. However, as I have become involved in ‘discussions’ with those who reject this doctrine, God has revealed to me, through my studying his Word in order to answer certain ‘arguments,’ that when this doctrine is not part of one’s theology then their concept of their salvation is more self-centered and, in some cases, is understood that one is a Christian based solely on religious acts they have done. Let’s look again at the Apostle Paul’s thesis on our salvation, which none of us deserve. View article →

May 2012 Conference To Indoctrinate Children Into Brian McLaren Mythology

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Apprising Ministries goes over important background information concerning the methodology used by the Emerging Church to infiltrate and capture younger sectors of evangelicalism.

You’ll also see in this new article that the Emergent Church is now even set to begin indoctrinating helpless little children into the psuedo-Christian fables of one of its most notorious leaders. View article →

The Comforter

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We live in a time where it’s easy to become discouraged. Apprising Ministries offers this teaching by Charles Spurgeon reminding us where the Christian can draw comfort from, no matter what. View article →

Religiosity and Unbelief

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εἶπεν οὖν ὁ Ἰησοῦς πρὸς αὐτόν· ἐὰν μὴ σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα ἴδητε, οὐ μὴ πιστεύσητε. John 4:48, NA27

48 Therefore, Jesus said to him, “Except you see signs and wonders you never believe!” John 4:48, Possessing the Treasure New Testament V1

In this stage of my life, God has me residing in the Kansas City area. In our city is a “church” that calls itself “World Revival Church.” It is closely associated with another “church” that was recently sued by the corporation International House of Pancakes because it used the same logo, i.e. IHOP. In any case, the people behind these “churches” advertise heavily on our local television during the evening news hour. The focus of their ads is not to come there to see God glorified or to come and learn about Jesus our Lord and Saviour. Nope, it is all about “feelings” and “being blessed” and “experiences.” I have written about them before. There are some very disturbing videos portraying “signs and wonders” on YouTube about them as well. In any case, what they promote is attending their church for the experience, to get something for self, all subjectively. Contrast that with our Lord’s own words from John 4:48 (above). View article →

Living Water

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ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ· εἰ ᾔδεις τὴν δωρεὰν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τίς ἐστιν ὁ λέγων σοι· δός μοι πεῖν, σὺ ἂν ᾔτησας αὐτὸν καὶ ἔδωκεν ἄν σοι ὕδωρ ζῶν. John 4:10, NA27

10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, ‘Give me to drink,’ you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water.” John 4:10, Possessing the Treasure New Testament V1

Sacred Scripture clearly teaches us that those who are saved by God believe in the Lord Jesus, that is, they believe the Gospel or Good News. It is good news because it comes to those who realize they are helpless to justify themselves before God who is Holy, Righteous and Just, and also know for certain that their own righteousness is as filthy rags, that is, worthless. The good news is that someone else has paid their sin debt to God for them. They are no longer hopelessly in debt to God. Of course, this applies only to those who believe. The Apostle John used several images or analogies to vividly portray what it is to truly believe in Jesus. In John 6:56, 8:31, and 15:7 he used the physical image of believers abiding or remaining in Jesus and His Word. In John 8:12 and 12:35–36, he used the analogy of believers walking in and having the light. In John 6:53–56 he gives us our Lord’s hard preaching and His own standard of eating His flesh and drinking His blood. In John 6:35, 47–48, 50–51, and 53–58 he gives us our Lord’s image of real believers eating the bread of life. In John 4:10–14 and 7:37–38, we read of real believers drinking living water. In this post, we will look at John 4:1–42. View article →